We’re getting closer to our STEAM EARLY ACCESS DATE (JULY 20!!!) So the updates are going to come a bit more frequently and be a bit lighter. Here’s what you have to look forward to in this update:

Gameplay Sneak Peeks

FAQ Update

Level building

New Relics Located

Indy POP CON

GAMEPLAY SNEAK PEAK!

The fellers over at Gooperative Gaming dropped in to check out the state of the game and do a little raid on the Crusher boss! Check our their video above!

New Levels, New Modules, New Hazards, Oh My!

One of the game features we’ve been very proud of since the beginning is our procedural level generation system and level builder tool. This system allows us to build out all of the different stitch-able pieces that make up a playable hive.

We’ve been working to build more variety into each of our core environments and that means lots and lots of level design for our lead designer Matt Donatelli (@mattdonatelli)!

We’re very excited to jump into these hives with you on July 20th!

New Relics located within the Hive…

Harvester Tail – The tail of a Harvester is heavily armored but has a nub at the end that is soft, pink, and bulbous. This nub is a sensitive weak spot and has a sphincter that opens up to excrete waste and other substances within the Harvester’s body at extreme velocities. These excretions are often covered with the Harvester’s extremely acidic stomach bile. By studying collected Harvester tails, the H.S.A. is developing protective coatings for Jumper armor that resist the extreme acidity of hazards within Ordovician hives.

Jar of Spores – This jar full of hive mushroom spores seems to be the result of experiments by an amateur scientist. The seal on the jar is intact, and the spores within are contained effectively. H.S.A. research has shown that prolonged exposure to non-fatal levels of spores seem to have negative effects on human mental health. In heavy concentrations these spores will cause death by asphyxiation. H.S.A. scientists are hard at work developing filters for Jumper suits and every sample helps.

FAQ Update!

Thanks to everyone who has been mailing,tweeting and messaging questions! We’ve tried to get answers back to you asap. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions posed to us since the last update.

Anyone in the Alpha-Access Kickstarter tier and above will get all of their Steam Keys in time for our closed alpha testing and subsequent Early Access launch in July. (PayPal pre-orders who chose the early access version will also get their keys in July). The rest of the keys will be released when we ship the finalized game on the requested platform.

I’d like to change my PC game key to a Wii U Key… or to a PC key, or combo of said keys…. Can I do that?

Our duty to all our beloved backers is to deliver the amazing game that you helped create. We’re happy to provide that game to you on any supported platform. Please send an e-mail to info@hivejump.com with your name and Kickstarter-linked e-mail address and indicate your platform of choice. If you purchased multiple keys, you can also split quantities between platforms, for example, 2 Wii U / 2 Steam.

Steam only shows support for PC, what about Mac and Linux?

Right now we’re only launching Early Access with a PC build, but we will be staggering Mac and Linux releases throughout the Early Access period in order to address any platform-specific concerns. We anticipate that all platforms will be ready for the final launch at the same time, and that there will be cross-platform multiplayer (although this has yet to be tested and verified).

I may not play a lot of multi-player. Would you say Hive Jump is still enjoyable as a single-player experience?

Most definitely! We’ve made great strides in developing the single player experience! In addition to normal difficulty scaling features like health / enemy quantity scaling, we’ve also solved other balance issues for one player. For instance, in single-player mode the backpack enters a hover-mode when the player dies, allowing them to re-position the backpack to avoid hazards or enemy fire while waiting to re-spawn. This solved a big issue with player-agency we were having in single-player mode. We’re confident single player will be a good experience, and can only get better with the feedback of players who are participating in our Daily “Lone Wolf” Challenges.

Will there be amiibo support on Wii U? And if so, what will it look like?

We’re aiming to support as many different amiibo as we can, but are focusing our efforts on creating some really fun integration based on amiibo whose games have been inspirations to Hive Jump specifically. Like many gamers, we’ve grown up playing classic Nintendo titles that now have great amiibo to go along with them, so our eyes and efforts lie with a select few inspirational amiibo for now. These amiibo will be used as a key to unlock special Wii U specific relic rooms within the hive. Upon unlocking a special amiibo challenge room, players will be faced with special challenges you can only find on Wii U.

Any news on the physical rewards?

Physical rewards will be shipped upon launch of the final game or shortly thereafter. Due to some physical rewards requiring game assets to complete (like the art book and others), the game has to be finished first before we can deliver on those physical goods.

Hive Jump is headed to Indy Pop Con!

Indy PopCon was founded to celebrate all aspects of pop culture, rather than just hyper focusing on a specific genre. We are stoked to be invited to share Hive Jump at the convention alongside tons of other indie developers, pop culture icons, and other amazing peeps!

Check out the latest demo of Hive Jump on the show floor: Booth #446! Or catch us on the Let’s Play stage Friday at 6:00PM!

Would you like to know more?

As always, please feel free to add questions or comments below! Your feedback is important to the team!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter – and tell your friends about the game!